


Pierced

by TheEigthPillarGeneral



Series: Black Moon [13]
Category: Bleach
Genre: (brief mention), Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Boys Kissing, Cock Piercing, Ear Piercings, M/M, Romance, Visual Kei
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-23
Updated: 2018-05-23
Packaged: 2019-05-10 10:24:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14735195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEigthPillarGeneral/pseuds/TheEigthPillarGeneral
Summary: In the aftermath of the Tres Bestias concert, Renji sleeps over at Byakuya's apartment. As the days continue, Byakuya plans on following Renji's footsteps and start out small. Meanwhile, on Ichigo's birthday, Renji takes him to get his ears pierced by an old friend.





	Pierced

**Author's Note:**

  * For [junko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/gifts), [Josey (cestus)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cestus/gifts).



> I had to include Grimmjow somehow in this AU so here's some Grimmkitty for you people ;) Enjoy!

The trip back to Byakuya’s apartment was silent all the way until they reached the building and got into the elevator. As the elevator began going up, Renji regarded Byakuya with slight concern and curiosity.

“You doing okay?” Renji asked.

Byakuya said nothing as he turned his attention to Renji, his dark eyes fervent. Before Renji realized, he found himself grabbed by the collar of his shirt and pulled down into an ardent kiss.

Renji made a noise of surprise but he quickly melted against Byakuya’s lips, returning the kiss with as much heat and passion as Byakuya did while holding onto his waist. As Byakuya moved closer to him, pressing up against his body, Renji briefly wondered if the concert had gotten Byakuya all wound up. Well, it didn’t matter. Renji was more than happy to keep on kissing Byakuya like this.

The kiss slowly became more gentle and softer before Byakuya pulled away. Mere moments later, the elevator chimed as the doors slid open. Renji followed Byakuya out of the elevator to the apartment door. “So, I take it you liked the concert?” he asked.

“I did,” Byakuya said. “Halibel's vocal range was quite... amazing. And while the music was a bit too aggressive for my liking, it was enjoyable, overall.”

Renji smiled. “That’s good to hear,” he said. “Well, I should be going home. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Actually… I’d like for you to stay the night here,” Byakuya said, unusually timid.

When Renji looked at him in surprise, Byakuya continued speaking.

“I get so lonely here,” he said softly. “I haven’t fallen asleep in someone’s arms for a long time and it would be nice to have some company here.”

Again, Byakuya looked so vulnerable that Renji couldn’t help himself. Giving him a smile, he nodded. “Sure, I’ll stay the night,” he said.

Byakuya looked relieved as he opened up the door and entered the apartment. Renji followed him, slipping his shoes off and closing the door behind him.

As he followed Byakuya to the bedroom, Renji observed the apartment again, taking in the soft scent of vanilla and honey that seemed to linger in the air. It was a big apartment, and subtly opulent as well, he had to admit. No wonder Byakuya was so lonely. Imagine living in a house this big with no one else, other than your late wife.

The bedroom itself looked like something out of a home-living magazine. With tall windows and translucent curtains, a large bed up against the wall that faced the admittedly-impressive view of Tokyo, and the black and blue colour scheme of the whole place, was it any wonder that Byakuya was lonely here? Apart from a photograph of Byakuya and Hisana, presumably from their wedding day, the room had no other personal touches.

“If you can wait here, I’ll just get some toiletries for you,” Byakuya told Renji.

Renji nodded, sitting down on the surprisingly-soft mattress as Byakuya went into the adjacent bathroom. As he leaned back onto the mattress, Renji thought about the concert and how Byakuya had been after that last song.

First of all, the Tres Bestias were absolutely impressive, especially in such a big venue like Saitama Super Arena. Tier Halibel’s vocal abilities were just as awesome. When she sang, it was hauntingly beautiful. And when she growled, it was badass and awesome. Even more, all her songs were pretty profound and meaningful, with lyrics that often made one think about the world around them.

Yes, the last song during the encore had moved Renji just as much. Halibel’s voice had been so beautiful during that song, which was probably why Byakuya had ended up in tears. After all, a combination of profound lyrics and beautiful singing never failed to move even the most hard-hearted and cynical of people to tears. But really, Byakuya at a rock concert was something to see.

Gone was his stoic, aloof mask. Instead, he’d let himself be lost in the music and the experience, allowing himself to be at his most vulnerable. But for the song to have moved Byakuya to the point of asking Renji to sleep at his home for the night… well, he must’ve had some feelings buried pretty deep.

Right then, Byakuya emerged from the bathroom, now dressed in black silk pajamas and his hair flowing freely. “The bathroom is yours now,” he said.

Renji got up. “Thanks,” he said, entering the bathroom and closing the door.

After stripping down to his boxers, Renji brushed his teeth and tied his hair into a loose low ponytail so it wouldn’t get tangled in the night. When he emerged from the bathroom, he saw Byakuya already under the covers, writing something in a journal. Renji approached the bed and climbed under the covers as well, watching as Byakuya set the pen and journal down and switching off the bedside lamp.

“What were you writing?” Renji asked.

“A song,” Byakuya said, moving closer to Renji. “That last song at the concert, ‘Ever Dream’, inspired me to write something similar about you.”

Renji blushed. “About me?” he repeated.

Byakuya nodded, resting his head upon Renji’s chest. “Indeed,” he said. “That song… it made me realize just how much you mean to me. I don’t want to lose you, Renji.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Renji promised, holding him close as he gently ran his hand through his hair. “Don’t worry.”

Smiling slightly, Byakuya began tracing the interlocking pattern on Renji’s chest with his index finger. “You were right about Halibel,” he said. “She growls like a demon. But even then, wouldn’t that damage her vocal chords? I mean, even when I heard Ichigo growling, it doesn’t seem like there’s any damage to his throat.”

Renji chuckled. “No, actually,” he said. “They have their own techniques that they use to prevent damage to their voice and throat. I’m not too sure what exactly Halibel does, and to be fair, I’m still not too sure what Ichigo does, but it takes a while to actually perfect it.”

“Just thinking about growling like that makes my own throat hurt,” Byakuya said softly. “I can’t imagine making my voice sound like that.”

“Well, not everyone can do that, I guess,” Renji said. “Besides, I can’t really see you doing death growls, no offense.”

“And I don’t think they’d sound good when paired with a piano,” Byakuya chuckled.

Silence fell between them for a short bit as Byakuya continued tracing the interlocking tattoos with his finger. Just as he’d thought, Renji’s skin was warm to the touch. Not to mention, it was smooth, and the way the deep-black lines stood out against his bronze skin was almost hypnotizing.

To think that he’d get another opportunity to see Renji onstage was pretty exciting, Byakuya had to admit. He’d already bought a ticket for their live in August, a front-row spot, specifically. While he’d never been one for crowds, seeing Renji up close on the stage would definitely be worth it. Rukia was also going to be there as well, along with Inoue Orihime and Matsumoto Rangiku. The opportunity was too good for them to pass up, apparently.

As he moved his fingers to the tattoos on Renji’s abs, Byakuya began wondering just what the crowd would be like when he gave his first concert.

A few days ago, Byakuya had gotten in touch with Shihouin Yoruichi in regards to giving a live as an up-and-coming artist. Having already recorded some of his songs, he’d planned to release one of them, ‘Yozora no Kawa’, in September as his first single, with two bonus tracks, and maybe do a music video for it. He’d also planned to release 'Kanade Aragai Kou' as a single in the future, and then do a live later on.

Yoruichi had set him up with her friend Kuukaku to help him book a live at the Meguro Rokumeikan in the hopes of getting noticed, so tomorrow, Byakuya was going to check out the venue with Kuukaku.

Right then, Renji ran his fingers through Byakuya’s hair. “Penny for your thoughts?” he asked.

“I’ve already recorded a few of my songs,” Byakuya told him. “I’m also planning on checking out the Meguro Rokumeikan for a potential first live in the future.”

Renji was surprised. “You want to perform at Meguro Rokumeikan?” he asked.

Byakuya nodded. “Yes,” he said. “A lot of artists have made their debuts there, you said. I wish to do the same.” He glanced up at Renji. “It’s no fun to go straight to the bigger venues immediately. Yes, I may run Senbonzakura Music, but I wish to work just as hard as you have, Renji.”

At that, Renji felt himself blushing a little bit. “I… I didn’t know that,” he mumbled shyly. “Well, let me tell you though. Meguro Rokumeikan is really small.”

“I know,” Byakuya said, gradually feeling his eyelids drooping down. “But thanks for letting me know.” Resting his head on Renji’s chest, he asked, “Will you watch me when I give my first live?”

“Do you need to ask?” Renji responded, sounding slightly incredulous. He kissed the top of Byakuya’s head. “Of course I’ll come and watch. I’ll support you every step of the way, Byakuya. I’ll watch you in all the small and big venues.”

“And you’ll buy my music as well?” Byakuya asked, smiling slightly.

“Damn right, I will,” Renji chuckled. “And I won’t let your family criticize you for your music ever.”

Byakuya smiled. “Will you also come with me when I decide to get a tattoo or a piercing?” he asked teasingly.

“You know the answer already,” Renji mumbled, smiling fondly at him. “Now, get some sleep.”

Byakuya nodded sleepily as he closed his eyes. Smiling slightly, Renji leaned down and kissed Byakuya’s forehead before sleep claimed him quickly.

* * *

Renji was right. Meguro Rokumeikan was really small.

Located in the Meguro district of Tokyo, the venue was tucked away between a small restaurant and a shop on a busy street. Upon the walls of the entrance were numerous posters that advertised various upcoming or past acts in the venue.

“Here we are,” Kuukaku announced. “Meguro Rokumeikan.”

Byakuya followed Kuukaku into the building, the both of them passing the neon-light sign that had the kanji of ‘Rokumeikan’ in red with the words ‘Super Live Space’ underneath in green. Next to that was a bulletin board with several posters and signs upon it. But what was most noticeable was how old the building was.

“How long has this venue been around for?” Byakuya asked.

“Since 1980, amateur bands have been doing lives here every night,” Kuukaku said proudly. “Sure, this place is small, but lots of popular bands and artists have given their first concerts. X Japan, Luna Sea, Malice Mizer, they all gave their first lives here. Same with Zaraki Kenpachi, Unohana Yachiru, and Muguruma Kensei. Come, let me show you.”

Kuukaku led Byakuya to a display case where white placards with autographs and band names were displayed proudly. Sure enough, they were all from popular bands and artists. He saw the signatures of Unohana Yachiru, Zaraki Kenpachi, Black Moon, X Japan, among others.

When they entered the main hall, Byakuya was surprised again at how small the space was. The stage was quite compact, and numerous speakers and lights were placed all around it. On the back wall of the stage was another neon sign that displayed the kanji of ‘Rokumeikan’ in red yet again.

“Is the stage big enough for a grand piano?” Byakuya asked.

Kuukaku looked at the stage. “Yeah, I’m sure it can hold a grand piano,” she said. “But if you want a backup band to play the rest of the music, then I’m afraid you’ll have to get rid of that grand piano, ‘cause it’ll just take up too much space on the stage.”

Byakuya had planned on having a backup band play the accompaniments some of the songs would need, so maybe having a grand piano on the stage wasn’t the best of ideas. “What about an upright piano?” he asked.

“I’m sure that’ll work,” Kuukaku said. “But to be honest, I’m a little bit surprised that you want to do a live in this space. I thought you’d be trying out for one of the bigger venues, like Nakano Sun Plaza, or Zepp or one of those places. You are the CEO of your own record label, after all.”

“Indeed, it would’ve been convenient for me to just use my position to perform at a bigger venue,” Byakuya agreed. “But that’s exactly why I’m not doing it.”

At Kuukaku’s curious look, Byakuya elaborated.

“I want to work towards those goals, much like how Hisana and many of the artists under my label have been doing,” he said. “My father used to tell me that in order to achieve the things I want, I have to work towards it, regardless of my standing in this world. Yes, I may be wealthy, but that doesn’t mean that I’m exempt from doing hard work.”

Kuukaku nodded, a slight smile on her face. “Your dad sounds like a wise guy,” she said.

“He was,” Byakuya said softly. “It baffles me that he and my aunt were actually related.”

“Real shame he’s gone,” Kuukaku said, her voice unusually somber.

Byakuya nodded slowly. His father, Kuchiki Soujun, had been much more supportive of Byakuya’s goals as a musician. Hell, he himself had been a musician and had been striving to make a career out of his skills. Not to mention, he was much kinder than his aunt. Byakuya had been really young when his parents had died, but whatever memories he had of them were truly happy ones.

Had his parents lived, just how would have things gone? Byakuya felt that they would’ve been much more accepting of Hisana, much more encouraging in regards to a potential career as an artist, and certainly less cold and judgemental of the clothes he wore.

His thoughts were interrupted when Kuukaku approached him, a sly grin on her face. “So, Kuchiki,” she began. “I heard through the grapevine that you went to a Tres Bestias concert at Saitama Super Arena.”

“Yes, I did,” Byakuya said, glancing at her. “Why?”

“Well, I never thought you’d be one for listening to death growls and heavy metal,” Kuukaku laughed. “How was it?”

“Entertaining,” Byakuya said. “Loud, but entertaining.”

Kuukaku regarded him for a moment before she grinned again. “Say, I hear you and Renji of Black Moon are rather close,” she said. “Something goin’ on between you two?”

Much to his dismay, Byakuya found himself blushing despite the indignant look he gave her.

* * *

“Happy birthday, strawberry,” Renji greeted, ruffling Ichigo’s hair.

Ichigo frowned, but his eyes were mirthful. “Oi, I’m not a baby, Renji,” he said, swatting his hands away. “But thanks, anyways.”

It was July 15th, Ichigo’s birthday, and today was also the day that both Ichigo and Renji were getting piercings. Ichigo had wanted to get pierced as a birthday present, but also wanted Renji to get some piercings with him. It also helped that Renji personally knew a professional piercer who had a good reputation. Since his parlour was located in Shinjuku, the both of them were taking a metro to get there.

“But seriously, I can’t believe you’re twenty-two already,” Renji was saying. “So, did your dad call yet?”

“Yep,” Ichigo said, rolling his eyes. “He wished me happy birthday, said congrats on being in Black Moon, and then cried about how my mom would be so proud.” He sighed. “I swear, I’m pretty sure he still has that poster of her in the house. But still, it was nice to get a call from him.”

Renji knew exactly what he was talking about. He’d been over to the Kurosaki Clinic a few times and he’d seen the large poster of Kurosaki Masaki, Ichigo’s late mother, framed and posted near the genkan. He’d also witnessed Kurosaki Isshin, Ichigo’s father, grovelling at the poster a couple of times.

“What about your sisters?” Renji asked as they boarded the metro.

“Karin called and wished me a happy birthday,” Ichigo said. “Yuzu’s gonna drop by this evening with her present.”

“And you’re gonna show her the piercings?” Renji asked teasingly.

Ichigo laughed. “Maybe I should,” he said. “By the way, what’s this guy like?”

“He’s a professional, like I said,” Renji told him. “I’ve gotten piercings from him before and he’s very careful about it. I actually know him from my days when, you know, I was a stripper.”

“Ah,” Ichigo said. “Wait, what kind of piercings?”

Renji blushed, which was all the answer Ichigo needed.

Ichigo looked at him in surprise. “Dude, you got your dick pierced?” he asked, both awed and incredulous. “And here I thought you couldn’t get any cooler!”

“I wouldn’t recommend getting them right now, though,” Renji warned. “They take a long time to heal.”

Eventually, the metro reached Shinjuku Station, and the both of them got off and made their way to the tattoo and piercing parlour: Pantera Studio. It was a small building on a busy street, but it was easy to identify with the lit-up sign that had a panther illustration.

When they entered the building, Renji was surprised to see that it was empty. “Oi, Grimmjow!” he called. “We’re here!”

No answer.

“Geez, is he sleeping on the job or something?” Renji shook his head. “Friggin’ cat…”

“For the last time, I’m not a fucking cat, pineapple!” The door to the backroom opened and out came a tall, muscular, handsome man with electric-blue hair, turquoise eyeliner that brought out his blue eyes, dressed in a white tank top and blue jeans. His arms were practically covered in tattoos, and his left eyebrow and both ears were pierced.

The guy gave Renji a grin. “Long time no see, pineapple,” he greeted. “Back for another dick piercing?”

“Fuck off, Grimmjow,” Renji retorted, though his voice was light. Glancing at Ichigo, he said, “Ichigo, this is my friend Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. Grimmjow, this is my bandmate Kurosaki Ichigo. It’s his birthday today and we’re both getting our ears pierced, remember?”

“Right, right.” Grimmjow eyed Ichigo appreciatively. “Damn, who woulda thought that Black Moon’s vocalist was cute?”

Ichigo blushed a little as he scowled. “I’m not cute…” he protested half-heartedly.

“Well, come on in and we’ll get started,” Grimmjow told them. “Besides, you and I have some catching up to do.”

Renji and Ichigo followed Grimmjow into the parlour to get started.

“Alright, here’s what I got,” Grimmjow said, pulling out two cases of earrings to show them. “Take your pick.”

As they looked through the earrings, Grimmjow began asking them questions.

“So, how’s the band going?” he asked. “I heard you guys have a live in August.”

Renji nodded. “It’s going great,” he said. “We’re having a live in August, a Halloween live in October, and our third album is coming out in late November.”

“Nice,” Grimmjow said, grinning. “I also saw the music videos as well. That ‘Black & White’ one was pretty hot! You have some pretty good moves there, Ichigo!”

“Er… thanks?” Ichigo said, not knowing how to react. “So, how long have you known Renji for?”

“I’ve known him since I first joined the strip club he was at,” Grimmjow said, smiling suggestively. “We did a lot of shows together, you know? Drove all the ladies wild every night.”

Again, Ichigo blushed, which made Grimmjow laugh and Renji scowl lightly. “Okay, that’s enough, cat,” he chided. “Seriously, his face is brighter than my hair.”

Grimmjow scowled at him. “I ain’t a fucking cat and you know it! I didn’t call myself ‘Pantera’ for nothin’!”

“Well, panthers are cats,” Renji pointed out, smiling in a teasing manner. “So I’m not wrong.”

Grimmjow flipped his middle finger at him. “Oh, fuck you,” he said mildly. “Just choose your earrings, pineapple. Don't make me triple your bill.”

Eventually, they both chose their earrings.

Ichigo, who was getting piercings for his lobes and helixes, chose black earrings for both helixes, and a double piercing earring for his right lobe, which had a little silver chain connecting a tiny silver star stud to a silver crescent moon stud. For his left earlobe, he chose two silver rings for the lower lobe while going with tiny silver studs for the upper lobe.

Meanwhile, Renji was also getting both ears pierced: his left upper lobe and helix and his right lobe. For his left, he chose four silver rings and three black studs for his helix/cartilage area. And on the lower lobe, he was going to have a tiger’s eye drop earring in the shape of a fang. On the right ear, he was getting his earlobe adorned with two small black ring earrings, and his helix adorned with a small silver ring.

Once they’d chosen their earrings, Grimmjow started with Ichigo. He got out his hollow piercing needle and carefully followed his usual steps for ear piercings, starting out with disinfecting the earlobe before holding it in place. He then pushed the needle through the exact spot on the earlobe, putting the earring into place when it was over. Once the right ear was done, Grimmjow threw out the needle before moving onto the left ear.

When it was over and all earrings were in place, it was Renji’s turn. Again, Grimmjow changed needles once more before starting the process, making sure to change the needles for every different piercing. When he was finished, he gave them the usual healing advice.

“So, average healing time for earlobes is about six to eight weeks,” he said. “You can change earrings after that time period but leave the hole unfilled for too long and it’ll close up. The cartilage piercings will take at least twice as long to heal, though.” He smiled. “And that’s plenty of time before your big show.”

“Thanks, man,” Renji said gratefully as he paid the bill. “I really appreciate this.”

“No prob. And happy birthday to you, Ichigo,” Grimmjow said, giving him a grin. “Can’t wait to see ya both onstage in August. And make sure you put on a good show, will ya? Just like how you used to, Renji.”

Renji snorted. “Well, I don’t want to kill any fans,” he said. But he smiled. “But I’ll definitely do my best. And we’ll see you at the show.”

**Author's Note:**

> Meguro Rokumeikan (Rockmaykan) is a live venue that seats up to 250 people, so it's pretty small. Despite that, it's well-known for being the place where many famous bands have performed their first concerts, so bands like X Japan, Luna Sea, and Malice Mizer. And yes, I looked at photos of the place when writing it out.
> 
> 'Yozora no Kawa' translates to 'River of the Night Sky', and it's the title of Byakuya's character song from the Bleach Beats Collection. It's also incredibly beautiful to listen to.
> 
> I have a headcanon that not only does Renji have tattoos on his dick (and he's also pretty well-endowed in my headcanon), but he also has piercings down there too. But seriously, just imagine Renji with a tattooed and pierced dick. Doesn't it sound hot?
> 
> The concert is coming up soon, so I hope you're looking forward to it~
> 
> Let me know how I did :) Have a good one!


End file.
